• 02
  • April
    2010

After a fatal plane crash took the life of a jogger in mid-March, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) vowed to take a closer look at high-performing, amateur-built planes. This week, they issued a safety warning, cautioning that such "homemade planes" have a tendency to stall at slower speeds, often as a pilot is preparing to land.

The FAA noted that these amateur planes, which are built from kits, have been involved in a disproportionately high number of fatal plane crashes. On top of this - even among planes built from kits, the FAA found that Lancair models are much more likely to be involved in fatal crashes.

The pilot involved in March's fatal accident was flying a Lancair IV-P, which can reach speeds of up to 330 mph. While designed with safety in mind, as each plane is assembled by an amateur pilot, the FAA noted that each may have "unique flight handling characteristics."

According to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, in 2008, 82 people were killed in plane crashes involving kit-built planes. Such planes were involved in 18 percent of noncommercial plane crashes, despite logging less than five percent of total flight time. The foundation also reported that the accident rate for all aircraft built from kits, including helicopters, was seven times higher than other noncommercial aircraft.

In March's accident, a Lancair model - built from a kit - began to leak oil and lost its propeller, forcing an emergency landing. With leaking oil blocking the pilot's view, he never saw Robert Gary Jones jogging on the beach.

At the same time, with his headphones in, Jones likely never heard the plane approaching. The fatal accident received a lot of coverage and prompted concern regarding amateur aircraft. Still, amateur pilots and plane manufacturers have defended their aircraft, claiming the danger from such planes has been overstated.

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